ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) كلم به طلحة و الزبير بعد بيعته بالخلافة وقد عتبا عليه من ترك مشورتهما والاستعانة في الأمور بهما

After swearing allegiance to Amīr al-mu’minīn, Ṭalḥah and az-Zubayr complained to him that he had not consulted them or sought their assistance in the affairs (of state). Amīr al-mu’minīn replied:

لَقَدْ نَقَمْتُما يَسِيراً، وَأَرْجَأْتُمَا كَثِيراً، أَلاَ تُخْبِرَانِي، أَيُّ شَيْء لَكُمَا فِيهِ حَقٌّ دَفَعْتُكُمَا عَنْهُ؟ وأَيُّ قَسْم اسْتَأْثَرْتُ عَلَيْكُمَا بِهِ؟ أَمْ أَيُّ حَقّ رَفَعَهُ إِلَيَّ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ضَعُفْتُ عَنْهُ، أَمْ جَهِلْتُهُ، أَمْ أَخْطَأْتُ بَابَهُ ؟!

Both of you frown over a small matter and leave aside big ones. Can you tell me of anything wherein you have a right of which I have deprived you or a share which was due to you and which I have held away from you, or any Muslim who has laid any claim before me and I have been unable to decide it or been ignorant of it, or committed a mistake about it?

وَاللهِ مَا كَانَتْ لِي فِي الْخِلاَفَةِ رَغْبَةٌ، وَلاَ فِي الْوِلاَيَةِ إِرْبَةٌ، وَلكِنَّكُمْ دَعَوْتُمُونِي إِلَيْهَا، وَحَمَلْتُمُونِي عَلَيْهَا، فَلَمَّا أَفْضَتْ إِلَيَّ نَظَرْتُ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللهِ وَمَا وَضَعَ لَنَا، وَأَمَرَنَا بِالْحُكْمِ بِهِ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ، وَمَا اسْتَسَنَّ النَّبِيُّ (صلى الله عليه وآله) فَاقْتَدَيْتُهُ، فَلَمْ أَحْتَجْ فِي ذلِكَ إِلَى رَأْيِكُمَا، وَلاَ رَأْيِ غَيْرِكُمَا، وَلاَ وَقَعَ حُكْمٌ جَهِلْتُهُ، فَأَسْتَشِيرَكُمَا وَإِخْوَانِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ; وَلَوْ كَانَ ذلِكَ لَمْ أَرْغَبْ عَنْكُمَا، وَلاَ عَنْ غَيْرِكُمَا.

By Allāh, I had no liking for the caliphate nor any interest in government, but you yourselves invited me to it and prepared me for it. When the caliphate came to me, I kept the Book of Allāh in my view and all that Allāh had put therein for us, and all that according to which He has commanded us to take decisions; and I followed it, and also acted on whatever the Prophet - may Allāh bless him and his descendants - had laid down as his sunnah. In this matter I did not need your advice or the advice of anyone else, nor has there been any order of which I was ignorant so that I ought to have consulted you or my Muslim brethren. If it were so I would not have turned away from you or from others.

وَأَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتُمَا مِنْ أَمْرِ الاْسْوَةِ، فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ أَمْرٌ لَمْ أَحْكُمْ أَنَا فِيهِ بِرَأْيِي، وَلاَ وَلِيتُهُ هَوىً مِنِّي، بَلْ وَجَدْتُ أَنَا وَأَنْتُما مَا جَاءَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنْهُ، فَلَمْ أَحْتَجْ إِلَيْكُمَا فِيَما قَدْ فَرَغَ اللهُ مِنْ قَسْمِهِ، وَأَمْضَى فِيهِ حُكْمَهُ، فَلَيْسَ لَكُمَا، وَاللهِ، عِنْدِي وَلاَ لِغَيْرِكُمَا فِي هذَا عُتْبَى. أَخَذَ اللهُ بِقُلُوبِنَا وَقُلُوبِكُمْ إِلَى الْحَقِّ، وَأَلْهَمَنَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ الصَّبْرَ.

As regards your reference to the question of equality (in distribution of shares from the Muslim common fund), this is a matter in which I have not taken a decision by my own opinion, nor have I done it by my caprice. But I found, and you too (must have) found, that whatever the Prophet - may Allāh bless him and his descendants - brought had been finalised. Therefore, I felt no need to turn towards you about a share which had been determined by Allāh and in which His verdict has been passed. By Allāh, in this matter, therefore, you two or anyone else can have no favour from me. May Allāh keep our hearts and your hearts in righteousness, and may He grant us and you endurance.

ثم قال (عليه السلام): ‏رَحِمَ اللَّهُ رَجُلًا رَأَى حَقّاً فَأَعَانَ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ رَأَى جَوْراً فَرَدَّهُ وَكَانَ عَوْناً بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ.

Then Amīr al-mu’minīn added: May Allāh have mercy on the person who, when he sees the truth, supports it, when he sees the wrong, rejects it, and who helps the truth against him who is on the wrong.

Extrait de ses paroles adressées après sa nomination à Talhat et Zoubaïr qui le réprimandaient de les avoir éloignés des affaires publiques

Vous avez reproché un peu et différé la proclamation de votre blâme. Pouvez-vous me dire en quoi vous ai-je lésé dans vos droits? De quelle part qui revient à vous vous aije privé? Et quel droit dû à un musulman ai-je négligé ou ignoré ou délaissé?

Par Dieu, je n’avais ni envié ni demandé le califat et le gouvernement. Mais vous m’y aviez invité et poussé. Ayant accepté, je me suis référé au Livre de Dieu et à ce qu’il contient de préceptes relatifs au gouvernement; j’ai imité la Sounna du Prophète. C’est pour cela que je n’ai pas eu besoin ni de vos opinions, ni des conseils d’autres. D’autre part, il ne m’est arrivé aucun cas que j’ignorais pour demander votre conseil ou celui d’autres musulmans. Je ne vous aurais pas épargné dans le cas contraire.

Quant à la question de la division de l’argent des musulmans, que vous venez de citer, je ne l’ai pas abordée selon mon avis propre ou selon un caprice, mais j’ai suivi -et vous êtes d’accord avec moi- les directives de l’Envoyé de Dieu. La question étant résolue d’après les jugements de Dieu, je n’ai pas eu besoin de vos conseils. Vous ne devez pas, par Dieu, m’en vouloir, ni vous ni aucun autre. Que Dieu guide nos cœurs vers la vérité et qu’iI nous inspire la patience.

(Puis il dit:) Que Dieu ait pitié d’un homme qui voit un droit et aide à l’établir ou qui voit une injustice qu’il refuse. Qu’il soit, enfin, une aide à quiconque possède un droit

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #205